Nintendo is bringing Labo kits to elementary schools

Nintendo’s Labo Kits are surprisingly fun — and complex. I say this as someone who spent the better part of a workday piecing together a small piano. Now the gaming giant is looking to bring its cardboard building sets into the classroom, as part of a broader STEAM curriculum.

The company says it plans to bring the kits to ~2,000 students between eight and 11 within the next school year. It will be assisted in the task by Institute of Play, a New York City-based non-profit whose mission statement involves education through play.

The program will begin in Institute of Play’s backyard, targeted schools in the New York region. Along with the kits, the organization will be handing out the Nintendo Labo Teacher Guide, featuring sample lesson plans that integrate the product into various STEAM courses.

After the NYC-based pilot, the program is set to extend to 100 schools all around the U.S. running through March of next year. Nintendo will provide kits and Switches to participating schools. The Teacher guide, meanwhile, is free to anyone (though the kits and Switches are decidedly less so).